


Venomous

by sunaddicted



Series: Gordlock Week 2k18 [7]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Drabble, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Gordlock Week 2k18, Merpeople, Pirates, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-14 00:18:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15376578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunaddicted/pseuds/sunaddicted
Summary: So, there was only a possible explanation why the rum had suddenly disappeared: there was only one element of novelty in his life.Jim.





	Venomous

**Author's Note:**

> Gordlock Week, seventh prompt: why is the rum gone? + merpeople au because I can

_Venomous_

A wave rocked the ship and spilled on the deck, frothing over the hardened and dark wood; the sea wasn't even particularly rough, but still it swelled over them from time to time - just enough to keep the crew on their toes and make them work instead of lazying around, chewing on tobacco and betting anything possible at card games.

Which was incredibly convenient, considering the little secret that Harvey was keeping tucked in his cabin - locked and guarded by one of the lads, more loyal than the hardened pirates who only cared about money and didn't even know what loyalty meant any longer. Harvey patted the boy on the shoulder, grinning at him "Did anyone come snooping around?"

"Nay, Capitan"

"Good, good" Harvey nodded, slipping a handful of coins in the boy's hand "Go and have some fun, I'll call you if I need your services again"

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir!"

So much enthusiasm.

Harvey wondered about when it would melt all away.

He drew the keys out from under his shirt and methodically started on opening the various locks before he could push the door; Harvey didn't waste any time immediately shutting it behind his back, making sure that nobody took a peek.

"Harvey!"

That oddly accented voice made the Capitan smile and he made his way towards his bedroom to greet his guest "Jim" now, that was an odd name for a merman but Harvey wasn't going to argue with the creature when he said that was how he should call him "Been busy, I see" he observed, looking at the books scattered around the wooden tub in which the other was happily splashing.

"I love books" Jim said grinning up at Harvey - and to think that he had been so afraid of the human when the storm accidentally had tossed him up into the Capitan's cabin: he'd only ever heard stories about the horrible things humans did to his kind; but Harvey had been nice to him, he had checked him for injuries and put him in water - even if Jim could survive out of it for briefs periods of time "They always are soggy and ruined when they get to my home"

"Yeah, well, paper and water don't exactly go well together" Harvey offered, frowning around his room in search of his bottle of rum.

Maybe he had finished it.

As Jim kept chattering - a huge difference from the first hours they had spent together, during which the merman had been taciturn and aggressive - Harvey went back to the front room of his cabin, moving various maps and trinkets around; he could have sworn that he had seen a bottle on his desk right that morning, but there wasn't a sign of it now.

Nor of any other bottles he was sure must have been laying around: he always made sure to keep a modest quantity of rum around, especially during long trips when the nectar could run short - the men always drank more when the nearest port was further away than ten days - and Harvey didn't fancy being left with a dry throat.

So, there was only a possible explanation why the rum had suddenly disappeared: there was only one element of novelty in his life.

Jim.

Harvey went back to the bedroom, letting himself be tugged closer by the eager merman so that he could be shown a particular passage of a book "Jim"

"Yes?"

"Why is the rum gone?"

The merman tilted his head to the side, looking up at the Capitan with a perplexed expression in his eyes "Rum?"

"Brown liquid, thick bottles, cork?" Harvey offered in explanation before pointing at his bedside table "There was some on there?"

"Oh!" Jim's blue eyes brightened with understanding "The poison!"

Poison?

"What did you do with it, Jim?"

The merman shrugged "I tried some because I was curious" at the memory, Jim's face twisted and scrunched up in disgust "I threw it away" he admitted, pointing at the open window.

Harvey took a deep breath "You threw it away" he repeated and Jim nodded so eagerly, that the irritation he could feel prickling just under his skin melted away: afterall, Jim had thought that the content of the bottles was poison - he probably couldn't imagine why humans would drink for pleasure something so strong that would burn down their throats "How many bottles were there?"

"Six" Jim answered promptly, pushing himself a little out of the water to touch Harvey's shoulder "Did I do wrong?"

"No" the Capitan reassured, caressing the merman's pale blond hair "No, it's okay: there should be more on the ship"

"Why do you need so much poison?"

"It's not poison" Harvey explained "It's something we drink to chase the bad thoughts away"

Jim tilted his head to the side "Do you have a lot of bad thoughts?"

Did he? Harvey wasn't sure; some days he missed the land and the life he had led there, but he didn't think of himself as an unhappy man.

Alone, maybe, but not particularly unhappy - Jim must have thought that because of how many bottles he kept around "No, I just like the taste"

"You like it?"

Harvey hummed "There must be something your kind eats that you find delicious but that humans would think it's disgusting" he pointed out.

"Maybe" Jim, looked out towards the sea "I'll make you try everything one day" he promised "I'm going to take you home with me" 


End file.
